Shloka 40

स्वायम्भुव-मन्वन्तर-वंशवर्णनम्

Genealogy of Svāyambhuva Manu and the Dhruva Episode

Devanagari script

अचरांश्च चरांश्चैव द्विपदोऽथ चतुष्पदः । संसृज्य मनसा दक्षो मैथुनीं सृष्टिमारभत्

Transliteration

acarāṃśca carāṃścaiva dvipado'tha catuṣpadaḥ | saṃsṛjya manasā dakṣo maithunīṃ sṛṣṭimārabhat

Translation

Having mentally brought forth both the immobile and the mobile beings—those with two feet and those with four—Dakṣa then commenced the creation that proceeds through male–female pairing (sexual generation).

Word by Word

• अचरान्: immobile beings
• अचरान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• चरान्: mobile beings
• चरान्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Plural

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: Conjunction (समुच्चय)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: Emphatic particle (निश्चय/अवधारण)

• द्विपदः: the two-footed (creature)
• द्विपदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वि (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; द्विगु-समास: ‘two-footed (being)’

• अथ: then/and then
• अथ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ (अव्यय)
• Form: Particle (अव्यय)

• चतुष्पदः: the four-footed (creature)
• चतुष्पदः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर् (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; द्विगु-समास: ‘four-footed (being)’

• संसृज्य: having created
• संसृज्य: Purvakala (पूर्वकाल/Anterior action)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्-√सृज् (धातु) → संसृज्य (क्त्वा-प्रत्यय/अव्ययभाव)
• Form: Gerund/Absolutive (क्त्वा); ‘having created/produced’

• मनसा: by mind; mentally
• मनसा: Karana (करण/Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular

• दक्षः: Dakṣa
• दक्षः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; proper name Dakṣa

• मैथुनीम्: sexual; by pairs
• मैथुनीम्: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैथुनी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular; qualifies ‘सृष्टिम्’

• सृष्टिम्: creation
• सृष्टिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सृष्टि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular

• आरभत्: began/undertook
• आरभत्: Kriya (क्रिया/Finite verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√रभ् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), Parasmaipada; 3rd person (प्रथम-पुरुष), Singular

Speaker

Suta Goswami (narrating the Purana account to the sages at Naimisharanya)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shakti Dimension

Role: creative

Characters & Entities

• Daksha

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in the Shiva Purana?

It marks the shift from mental projection to embodied, paired generation—showing how the field of samsara expands through desire and procreation, while Shaiva Siddhanta points beyond this to Pati (Shiva) as the liberating Lord.

How does this verse relate to the worship of the Linga or Saguna Shiva?

Maithunī sṛṣṭi describes worldly continuity, whereas Linga/Saguna Shiva worship redirects the mind from creation’s outward flow toward the source—Shiva as Pati—supporting detachment and devotion amid worldly life.

What ritualistic or meditative practice is suggested here?

A practical takeaway is to contemplate the transient nature of created beings (chara/achara) and steady the mind in japa of the Panchakshara—“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”—as a means to loosen pasha (bondage) while living in the world.